Universal CityWalk has a big milestone to celebrate this month, but that milestone will pass by rather quietly for the thousands of visitors who enjoy the shopping and entertainment center each year. Believe it or not, it’s been ten years since CityWalk opened in February 1999. Part of the expansion that transformed Universal Studios into Universal Orlando as we know it today, the 30-acre entertainment complex was built over the former Universal Studios parking lot and entrance after five years of planning and construction.

Today, CityWalk is still going strong as one of the most popular attractions in Orlando, with ample shopping, dining, and entertainment options for both tourists and locals. Everything a person might need to pass an afternoon or evening is there; from the musical shenanigans of Blue Man Group to the Jimmy Buffet-inspired margaritas and cuisine of Margaritaville to the latest apparel and souvenirs of Fossil and Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company. CityWalk even has a 20-theater AMC Theaters Cineplex playing the hottest movies in state-of-the-art projection and digital sound.

With the closing of Pleasure Island last year at Downtown Disney, CityWalk can also look forward to a strong future. While Walt Disney World rethinks its plans for the nightclub area, CityWalk is now the only nightclub district owned by a theme park and quite possibly the busiest nightclub area in Orlando. Currently, the nightclub offerings include the groove, Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom, Red Coconut Club, and the newest offering, CityWalk’s Rising Star, a Karaoke Club featuring a live band and backup performers.

However, CityWalk thrives on a winning combination that attracts not only club-goers, but also several different kinds of customers throughout the day. In the morning and afternoon, the shops and restaurants attract theme park visitors passing through on their way to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. During the evening, diners who may or may not be headed to the parks come to enjoy unique restaurants such as Emeril’s and Latin Quarter. And later on into the night, club-goers flood in to enjoy reggae grooves at Bob Marley and dance hits at the groove, among other things. CityWalk also attracts sports lovers during big game days to restaurants and bars such as NBA City and the NASCAR Sports Grille.

Going into 2009, CityWalk plans to add more dining options, including a Burger King Whopper Bar, Panda Express, and a Moe’s Southwest Grill. A new surf and skateboard equipment and fashion shop, Element by Billabong will also open. And guests will be able to enjoy the fruits of recent improvements like a new outdoor stage and several renovated shops.

However, the recipe will stay mostly the same for the entertainment district – after all, why fix what isn’t broken? If CityWalk stays on the successful path it’s on now, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this mega-entertainment complex celebrating its 20th anniversary ten years from now.

If you haven’t paid Universal CityWalk a visit lately, drop by to see what you’re missing next time you score your discount Universal Studios tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com. A great place to hang out at night or to take a break while you’re visiting the parks, there’s lots of fun and many ways to have it at Universal CityWalk.

As the New Year approaches, resolutions will be made, diets will be broken, and vacations will be planned. And as we look forward to a new year full of new starts and experiences, it is important to look forward to what Orlando theme parks have in store for us in 2009. After all, it’s never too early to start planning a great Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Orlando vacation, right? In that spirit, we’re looking ahead to new attractions opening next year, namely the Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit Roller Coaster at Universal Studios. This monstrous record-breaking roller coaster is sure to thrill riders with a one-of-a-kind soundtrack.

Universal Studios announced their plans for the new Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit Coaster back in March. Scheduled to open in spring 2009, the Rockit will be the most technologically advanced roller coaster in the world, combining audio and special effects engineering, on-and-off-board video, and guest personalization for a truly wild wide.

On this adrenaline-pumping ride, guests will be able to pick their very own soundtrack to rock out to while riding the coaster. Before the ride launches, guests will be able to choose a song from five musical genres: classic rock, rap, country, pop, and disco. Then the ride starts, a 65 mph whirlwind that takes riders up 17 stories over Universal Studios. And when it’s all over, guests will be able to take home a video of their wild ride, which they’ll even be able to edit and post on YouTube.

“This is the perfect intersection of the digital age and theme park entertainment,” said Mark Woodbury, President of Creative for Universal Parks & Resorts. “Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit blends roller coaster intensity and guest interaction in a way where no two experiences will be the same.”

Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will truly be a unique coaster, the largest of its kind in the world. With a vertical life hill that reaches 167 feet, the Rockit will be the tallest ride in the Orlando area. Ride vehicles will feature bright color changing LEDs, and with up to four on the tracks at any given time, the Rockit will be a visual spectacular from the ground. And though the Rockit will not have any inversions, it will feature several heavily banked turns as well as the world’s first non-inverting loop. Nicknamed the “double take,” this non-inverting loop seems like a regular vertical loop at first. However, the track twists around as riders go up, leaving riders upright as they go down again.

Construction began in December on the Rockit, which will be located near Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast. Guests going through the park near the Twister attraction might be able to see some of the already constructed tracks reaching into the sky.

Roller coaster fans can’t wait for this ride to be unveiled this coming spring, and neither can we! Expect to get more sneak previews on this incredible roller coaster as its opening approaches. In the meantime, be sure to start planning for that May vacation so you can experience the fast, musical fun of the Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit coaster. The easiest part will be getting discount Universal Studios tickets – simply check out OrlandoFunTickets.com.